€26,50

🌱 Morphology
Shrubby succulent that with age forms a small tree of 3–5 m, with a bare trunk and dichotomously branched. At the end of each branch, it develops an extraordinary rosette, with the leaves arranged in two opposite rows forming a fan. The leaves are flat, rigid, grey-green, about 30 × 4 cm, with an almost entire margin and small teeth only towards the apical area. The inflorescences are erect, simple, and conical.

🌍 Distribution, habitat and family
Endemic to the mountains of the Western Cape, South Africa, between Franschhoek and Elandskloof. It grows on Table Mountain sandstone, on rocky and steep slopes among fynbos vegetation, in a region with a Mediterranean climate and very abundant winter rains. It belongs to Asphodelaceae. The old Aloe plicatilis is currently a synonym of Kumara plicatilis.

❄️ Temperature
USDA 9b–11b. Although it comes from mountains and tolerates relatively low temperatures, in a pot I recommend keeping it above 2–5 °C, especially with moist substrate. It is much more cold-tolerant than many tropical aloes, but cold tolerance should not be confused with resistance to prolonged frosts.

☀️ Lighting
Full sun or very intense light. During active growth, target 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ DLI PAR. Insufficient light produces longer leaves and a less compact structure.

💧 Growth cycle
Winter-spring growth, adapted to the South African Mediterranean winter rainfall regime. In summer it tolerates a marked drought. Water abundantly and let the substrate dry completely before the next watering, concentrating watering in autumn, winter, and spring and greatly reducing it during summer.

🌸 Flowering
Tubular scarlet flowers, up to about 5–5.5 cm, gathered in conical and lax racemes. In South Africa, it flowers mainly from August to October; transferred to the northern hemisphere, in Madrid we would expect it approximately between February and April. The flowers are visited by nectarivorous birds and insects.

🌿 Nutrition
During the growth period use Desert CHOICE® Aloes, Haworthia & Co., with a balanced supply of calcium and potassium. Significantly reduce fertilization during summer, coinciding with its period of lower activity.

This is an inimitable xerophytic cultivated in Madrid in a technological square pot and with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.

📏 Gourmet xerophytic in a 13x13 cm pot.

* As this is an online purchase, the appearance of the specimen sent may vary slightly from the product image. The photo description specifies the plant's measurements, but this may also vary slightly, because it is a living being! Each of Desert CITY's plants has unique characteristics.

• Hassle-free returns

• Free Shipping on orders over €79.99

• Secure and protected payment guaranteed.